Apparatus for treating hydrocarbon oils



April 27 1926.

c; l DUBBS APPARATUS" FOR TREATING HYD'ROCARB'ON OILS Original filed April 1s, 19 7 s Sheets-Sheet 1 April 27 1926. 1,582,585

- c. P. DUEBfi APPARATUS FOR TREATING HYDROCARBON OILS Original Filed April 16, 2.917 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Apiil 27,1926, 1,582,585

- c. P. DUBBS APPARATUS FOR TREATING HYDRQCARBON OILS Original l Apri 1917 s Sheets-Sheet 5 Wifness, W

Patented Apr. 27, 1926.

PATET FF I c CARBON P. DUBBS, OF WILMETTE, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO UNIVERSAL OIL PRODUCTS COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF SOUTH DAKOTA.

APPARATUS FOR TREATING HYDROCARBON OILS.

Odginal application filed April 16, 1917, Serial No. 162,234. Divided and this application filed October 11, 1919, Serial Nu. 329,897.. Renewed July 15, 1925.

To aZZ whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, CARBON P. DUBBS,

citizen of the United States, residing in e city of Wilmette, county of Cook, and

ate of Illinois, have invented certain new d useful Improvements in Apparatus for Treating Hydrocarbon Oils, of which the following is a specification.

This application is a division of an original application on continuous process of treating hydrocarbon oils, filedApril 16, 1917, Serial No. 162,234.

This invention relates to improvements in ing reaction so as to assure of. the vapors passing over being of the same specific gravity; to provide an apparatus in which the incoming fresh oil is pumped continuously through a battery of stills and subjected to increasing temperatures, the incoming fresh oil also acting to assist in the reflux condensing action; to provide-an apratus of the above character in which the oil is at all times distilled and condensed under the pressure of the generated vapors;

'35; provide an improved apparatus of the character referred to.

In the drawings;

Fig. 1 is'an end elevation of my im-' proved apparatus suitable for carrying out the" process claimed in'said application filed April 16, 1917, Serial No. 162,234.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the apparatus. Fig. 4 is a detail view of the float valve,

in still 2.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates:-

as a Whole a suitable furnace in which are mounted horizontal cylindrical stills 2, 3, 4: and 5, the stills being mounted at sue ceeding elevations as shown clearly in Fig. 1. The stills are connected in series by means of pipes 6, 7 and 8, these pipes 6, 7

and 8 leading from the bottom of the stills and entering the stills about the mid-height of the latter.

Mounted above each of the stills is a combined heat interchanger and reflux condenser 9, and above these condensers 9 are mounted aerial condensers 10. Each of these aerial condensers is surrounded by a shell 11 provided with a plurality of trap doors 12, 12 Which can be opened to pro vide a freer circulation of air for the condenser. The condensers 9 are connected to the top of the stills 2, 3, 4 and by means of pipes l3, 13 each controlled by a valve 14-, the object of the valves 14- being to permit any of the stills being cut out of the circuit. The upper end of the coils 9 areconnected to the coils by means of connections 15, which are each controlled by a valve 16. Theupper ends of the pipes 10 in turn connect to amanifold 17, through branch pipes 18, the latter in turn being controlled by valves 19. The manifold 17 leads to a condenser 20, which condenser comprises headers 21 and 22 connected by 3 tubes 23 from the. pipe 17. The header 22 is in turn through which the vapors pass connected to a Water condenser 21 seated in Water tank 25, which is supplied with cold water in any suitable manner. -The condenser coil 24 is connected to there-f ceiving tank 26 by pipe 27. The receivingtank 26 is provided with drawotf pipe 251,,

controlled by throttle valve 29. Preferably a water drawoif pipe 30 is provided, con

trolled by a valve 31. A gas blowofi' pipe- 32 is-connected to the upper end of the receiving tank and controlled by throttle valve 33.

The receiving tank is controlled by suitable pressure gauge 34, and liquid gauge 35. r f

Describing, now the means of preheating the incoming supply of fresh oil to be treat-v 4 ed, a supply pipe'36 leads to. an source of supply and the oil is forced by t e'pump 37,

through pipe 38 to the chamber 39-surrounding the tubes 23. From the upper end of to manifold 41. From the manifold 11 the .100 this chamber the oil flows through pipe 40;

the chamber 13- surrounding the "coil 9 mounted above thestill 5. From the-cham- 'ber 43, the oil passes by means of branch .pipe 44 back to the manifold 41. The oil.

then passes through branch pipe 45: to the chamber 43 surrounding the ends of the coil 9, above still 4 then through pipe 46 back to the manifold 41, then through branch pipe 47 to the next chamber 43, thence by pipe 48 back to manifold 41, thence through pipe 49 to the next chamber 43 and back by pipe 50 to delivery pipe 51, which leads to a pipe 52, extending into the still 5 mid-height of the latter. The pipe 52 extends nearly to the rear of the still 5 as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2.

I have heretofore described the manner in .-which the oil passes from the still 5 into still 4, thence into stills 3 and 2. In the manifold 41 are interposed valves 53, 53

which are normally kept closed. In the pipes 42, 45, 47 and 49 are interposed valves 54. In the pipes .44, 46, 48 and 50 are interposed valves 55. If it is desired to cut out any one of the heat interchangers 9, to prevent ltoo great heating of the incoming fresh oil, as for example, theone above the still 4, the valves 54 and 55 local to said heat inte'rchanger above the still 4 are closed, and the corresponding valve 53 opened.

It also maybe advisable to cut out one of the aerial condensers 12. This can be ac-- complished by :closing the corresponding valves 16 and 19 and opening the valve 56 interposed in the by-pass pipe 57. It is de sirable that a common liquid level be maintained in the lowest still 2. This is accomplished by means of a float valve 58, having a float 59, which can be adjustable as desired. The valve 58 controls the admission of oil to the pipe 60. This pipe 60 is also provided with a weighted valve 61, set at the condensing operating pressure. When i this pressure is reached, the valve 61 opens but only sufficient liquid can escape through the pipe 60 as will be suflicient to reduce the liquid in the still 2 to the levelcontrolled by the float valve. On the other hand, the

opening of the float valve will not let any liquid escape through the pipe 60 until sufheated to a sufficienttemperature causing it to vaporize at the operating pressure, which pressure may be from 80 to 250 pounds, the pressure and temperature varying with the oil treated. The foregoing process converts a substantial percentage of the heavier hydrocarbons into gasoline-like products. Itis essential at all times that a pressure he maintained on' the still and condenser, which pressure is produced by the generated vapors. If desired, the contents of the still can be mechanically agitated to prevent the taking of carbon on the bottom of the retorts, but inasmuch as mechanical stirrers are well known in the art, it is not thought necessary to show it in the drawings.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an apparatus for distilling and condensing hydrocarbons under pressure of generated vapors, the eombinationwith a lurality of stills, said stills being locate at progressively different heights, means for heating said stills each to a given temperature, a plurality of reflux condensers disposedabovc said stills and in communication therewith, means for feeding oil through said reflux condensers, to preheat the same and then to the stills, communications between all of said stills, valves for controllin the number of reflux condensers through which the oil must .pass before entrance to the stills, auxiliary condensers disposed above said reflux condensers and in communication therewith, valves for controlling by- 7 reflux condensers mounted above said stills, and in communication therewith, means for heating each still to an independent temperature, means for conveying oil throu h said reflux condensers and then to said stil 5, said means including pipes and valves for controlling the number of reflux condensers through which the oil must pass prior to its delivery tothe stills, a plurality of vertically disposed auxiliary condensers arranged above said -reflux condensers and valve controlled communications therebctween for receiving vapors from the reflux condensers, valve controlled dischar e conduits leading from said auxiliary con ensers to a manifold, connections with said manifold permitting vapors to be delivered directly thereto without passage through the vertical auxiliary condensers, additional condensers in communication with the manifold, atank connected therewith, and means for maintaining a vapor pressure on the oil in the systems.

3. An apparatus for distilling and condensing hydrocarbons comprising a plurality of stills arranged in horizontal planes and located at progressively diflercnt levels,

connections between said stills, means for heating each still to a given temperature,

I I I l I veiticady disposed reflux condensers 111 communication with the stills, means for feeding oil through said reflux condensers, prior to its delivery to the stills, means for controlling the number of reflux condensers through which the oil must pass, other vertical condensers in communication with the reflux condensers, means for passing oil vafold permitting the oil vapors to pass through the reflux condensers and thevertical condensers before delivery to the manifold or through the reflux condensers alone, additional condensers in communication with g the manifold, and a collecting receptacle in communication with said condensers and means for maintaining a vapor pressure on the oil undergoing distillation.

4. An apparatus for distilling hydrocarbon oils comprising a still, of vertical condensers in superimposed relation to. each other in communication with the still, means for feeding oil through the lower of said condensers prior to its delivery. to the still, means for discharging vapors from the still to said condensers, valve communications between the condensers for causing the va= pors to pass through one or both of the condensers, and a manifold for receiving the vapors after passage through one or both of the condensers.

CARBON P. DUBBS. 

